The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection awarded $200,000 in Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants to 11 companies across the state April 11, according to an announcement from the DATCP.
Many farmers are navigating uncertainty as they lose a steady institutional market, dairy markets and policy outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin Leonard Polzin said. Production decisions like crop selection, harvest timing and storage have often been shaped to meet school schedules and quantities, he said.
“Farmers don’t just grow food in a vacuum, they grow based on contracts, relationships and the certainty of where their product is going,” Polzin said. “When a major buyer like a school drops out, that uncertainty makes planning a lot harder.”
The grants come at a crucial moment after federal support for farm-to-school programs was cut, Polzin said. The federal support had connected schools with local farms to provide fresh produce for students and faculty, and the cut jeopardized a key market for small and mid-sized farmers who had long relied on institutional buyers like schools for steady sales, according to Polzin.
The BLBW grants aim to fund projects dedicated to enhancing the distribution and promotion of locally sourced food products from companies like B&E’s Trees, Driftless Farms, Fondy Food Center and more, according to the Wisconsin Ag Connection.
Programs like BLBW can lower barriers for farmers and consumers to connect — helping streamline local food markets and potentially boosting consumer demand, Polzin said.
“When we talk about local food, it’s not just about the farm,” Polzin said. “It’s about all the people who help move that food from farm to table. That means truckers, processors, retailers and even community institutions that benefit from stronger local economies.”
Past BLBW grants have helped artisan cheese makers and specialty dairy producers refine and market their niche products, according to the Wisconsin Ag Connection.
Nearly half of Wisconsin’s farms are classified as “small farms” that rely on additional income sources, so local food programs offer crucial market access for them, according to Polzin.
“Programs like this help grease the wheels of local food commerce,” Polzin said. “They make it easier for consumers to find local products and easier for farmers to reach new customers.”
Without federal farm-to-school funds and a stable schedule and income, small farms tend to crumble under pressure, Polzin said. Continued consumer engagement and state-level support like BLBW are vital to keep local food systems afloat, he said.
Farmers who diversify their markets and strengthen their distribution channels through initiatives like BLBW may also be better positioned to adapt to future market and policy shifts, Polzin said.
For now, the BLBW grants offer timely resources to keep local food pipelines flowing and help farmers navigate an evolving marketplace — ensuring that Wisconsin-grown food can still find its way to local tables, Polzin said.
